NC-Sen: Tillis' (R) Campaign Is Literally Copying Failed 2017 VA GOP Gov Candidate Strategy Memo
From Sam Brodey at The Daily Beast:
Sen. Thom Tillis’ (R-NC) campaign spokesman acknowledged on Friday that he had copied large portions of a general election strategy memo from a similar document he had put together while working on Ed Gillespie’s 2017 bid to be governor of Virginia.
The memo, which was released this past March, laid out an optimistic case for Tillis’ chances of re-election in North Carolina following former state senator Cal Cunningham’s emergence from the Democratic primary. But many of the arguments used the same language as a June 2017 memo that Gillespie’s campaign sent out after now-Gov. Ralph Northam emerged from his primary campaign.
“As we begin the general election phase of the 2017 race, the Gillespie campaign is in a very strong position both internally in terms of organization and resources, and externally in terms of the candidates’ positions on the pressing issues facing the Commonwealth,” read the Gillespie memo, which went on to tout the campaign’s “robust ground game” and slam their supposedly far-left opponent.
“As we begin the general election phase of the 2020 North Carolina Senate race, the Tillis campaign is in a very strong position both internally in terms of organization and resources, and externally in terms of the candidates’ positions on the issues that matter to the people of North Carolina,” the Tillis memo read, which went on to tout the campaign’s “robust ground game” and slam their supposedly far-left opponent.
That’s just one part where the memos mirrored each other. Tillis’ campaign memo also features multiple sections that are identical to Gillespie’s, right down to the same turns of phrase and political cliches. According to their respective memos, both candidates “begin the general election right where they want to be… firmly in the center-right” and boast “an army of supporters who are ready to win in November and who are ready to work to make that happen.” And for each candidate’s Democratic opponents, their “primary victory was a costly one… both financially and politically.”
We all know how the 2017 Virginia Governor race resulted in the end so maybe that’s not the best campaign strategy memo to work from. Makes me feel even better about our chances of Cal Cunningham (D. NC) beating Tillis. By the way, Tillis is also being a dick about this:
A new push to remove the names of Confederate generals from U.S. military installations, including Fayetteville’s Fort Bragg Army base, advanced in a U.S. Senate committee over the objections of Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.
The Republican-led Senate Armed Service Committee approved an amendment to the annual defense spending bill that would require the renaming of those bases within three years, according to reports. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, a Massachusetts Democrat, proposed the amendment.
Tillis, a Republican, voted against the amendment in a committee voice vote, meaning no recorded tally.
“Senator Tillis has made it clear he opposes Senator Warren’s amendment and he opposes renaming Fort Bragg,” Tillis spokesman Daniel Keylin said in an emailed statement.
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) must still pass the whole Senate and the House and be signed by President Donald Trump, who said Wednesday he is against renaming the military bases.
“My administration will not even consider the renaming of these magnificent and fabled military institutions. Our history as the greatest nation in the world will not be tampered with. Respect our military!” Trump tweeted Wednesday.
North Carolina is a key state to win not just to help us win the White House but also the Senate. Let’s make sure Cunningham, Joe Biden and their fellow North Carolina Democrats are ready to win. Click below to donate and get involved with their campaigns:
Cal Cunningham for U.S. Senate
Yvonne Lewis Holley for Lt. Governor
Josh Stein for Attorney General
Elaine Marshall for Secretary of State
